Coral Reefs are extremely important to our environment as a whole. Animals, Plants and Humans depend on the Coral Reefs. Without Coral Reefs, the

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Shorelines loose the protection from storms & waves

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Population looses a vital food and medicine supply

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Local economy looses the stimulus from tourism

Furthermore our Oceans provide between 60% – 80% of the Oxygen, which we need to breathe, and as Human beings we depend heavily on this ongoing supply. The Air we breathe is made up of a mixture of:

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2

1

%

Oxygen

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7

8

%

Nitrogen

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1

%

Trace Gases

The trace Gases are irrelevant to this discussion, so we can ignore these, the Nitrogen is inert and does not affect us, but the Oxygen our bodies metabolize, in other words use.

So here is what happens to Humans if our oxygen supply drops:

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Paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard (OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Administration) considers any atmosphere with an oxygen level below 19.5 percent to be oxygen-deficient and immediately dangerous to life or health.

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Human beings must breathe oxygen in order to survive, and begin to suffer adverse health effects when the oxygen level of their breathing air drops below the normal atmospheric level.

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Below 19.5 percent oxygen by volume, air is considered oxygen-deficient. At concentrations of 16 to 19.5 percent, workers engaged in any form of exertion can rapidly become symptomatic as their tissues fail to obtain the oxygen necessary to function properly (Rom, W., Env. Occup. Med., 2nd ed; Little, Brown; Boston, 1992).

Increased breathing rates, accelerated heartbeat, and impaired thinking or coordination occur more quickly in an oxygen-deficient environment. Even a momentary loss of coordination may be devastating to a worker if it occurs while the worker is performing a potentially dangerous activity, such as climbing a ladder.

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Concentrations of 12 to 16 percent oxygen cause tachypnea (increased breathing rates), tachycardia (accelerated heartbeat), and impaired attention, thinking, and coordination (e.g., Ex. 25-4), even in people who are resting.

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At oxygen levels of 10 to 14 percent, faulty judgment, intermittent respiration, and exhaustion can be expected even with minimal exertion (Exs. 25-4 and 150).

Breathing air containing less than 6 percent oxygen produces convulsions, then apnea (cessation of breathing), followed by cardiac standstill.

These symptoms occur immediately. Even if a worker survives the hypoxic insult, organs may show evidence of hypoxic damage, which may be irreversible (Exs. 25-4 and 150; also reported in: Rom, W., Environmental and Occupational Medicine, 2nd ed; Little, Brown; Boston, 1992).